There is little outside faith in the Cleveland Browns‘ quarterback situation as training camp approaches, and Deshaun Watson took the biggest hit in a new ranking.
Watson was ranked dead last among projected starting quarterbacks by Pro Football Focus, landing at No. 32 on the list. PFF slotted Watson in as the Browns’ starter for the purposes of the exercise, while noting that head coach Todd Monken is holding a competition between Watson and Shedeur Sanders. The reasoning behind Watson’s ranking was blunt.
“Two torn Achilles tendons prevented Watson from taking a single snap in 2025. It was the fifth straight season in which he logged fewer than 300 dropbacks,” PFF said. “While he has a chance to win the starting job under new head coach Todd Monken, Watson has struggled during his time in Cleveland. From 2022 to 2024, he recorded a 60.7 PFF passing grade while averaging just 6.0 yards per attempt.”
Sanders was not spared. The second-year quarterback was listed as an honorable mention, with PFF pointing to his rough rookie season and the ground he still has to make up in his bid to overtake Watson.
Deshaun Watson Says He Is Finally Healthy
Watson has made it clear he believes this version of himself is different from the one Cleveland last saw on the field. The veteran quarterback missed all of last season recovering from his Achilles injuries, extending a run of setbacks that has defined his Browns tenure. Shoulder surgery ended his 2023 season early.
Even when Watson has been available, the results have not matched the cost. The Browns made one of the most aggressive quarterback moves in NFL history when they traded for Watson in 2022 and handed him a fully guaranteed five-year, $230 million contract. Four years later, he has made just 19 starts for the franchise.
Speaking to reporters during minicamp in June — his first press conference in nearly 20 months — Watson said the physical issues that have followed him in Cleveland are behind him.
“I’m fully healthy, ready to go. This last year I was able to conquer that,” Watson said. “And I’ll just say I haven’t really been 100% since that Tennessee game in ’23.”
Now, under Monken, Watson has one more chance to change the conversation.
Deshaun Watson Working Out in Cleveland
Watson has quickly gotten back to work since minicamp. According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, Watson returned to the Browns’ facility in Berea this week — in the middle of the team’s summer break — to train with his private physical therapist, Billy Voltaire, and his personal quarterbacks coach, Quincy Avery. He also threw to teammates as he continues his push to win the starting job.
Watson is also expected to host a passing camp for offensive teammates in South Florida this month. Every move matters for Watson because his path back is not just about getting healthy. It is about convincing Monken and the Browns that he can be a leader and hold up physically.
Watson is entering the final year of his contract. He missed all of last season and has not put together a full, productive year since arriving in Cleveland.
Watson may enter camp with the edge because of his experience and the Browns running out a very young offensive unit. Keeping the job will be the harder part. His health has to last and his play has to improve. If either slips, Sanders will be waiting.
Browns QB Deshaun Watson Lands Rock-Bottom Ranking